Analysis of Flow Estimation Methods for Small Hydropower Schemes in Bua River

Any hydropower project requires an ample availability of stream flow data. Unfortunately, most of the hydropower projects especially small hydropower projects are conducted on ungauged river and consequently hydrologists have for a longtime used stream flow estimation methods using the mean annual flows to gauge rivers. Unfortunately flow estimation methods which include the runoff data method, area ratio method and the correlation flow methods employ a lot of assumptions which affect their uncertainty. This study was conducted on Bua River in Malawi to unveil the uncertainties of these flow estimation methods. The study was done on a well gauged catchment in order to highlight the variations between the observed, true stream flows and the estimated stream flows for uncertainty analysis. After regionalizing the homogenous sites, catchments using L-moments, an uncertainty analysis was done which showed that the area method is better followed by the correlating flow method and lastly the runoff data method in terms of bias, accuracy and uncertainty.

Validation of GLASOD Map for Sediment Sources and Erosion Processes Identification in the Nyumba Ya Mungu Reservoir Catchment

The main objective of this paper is to report on the preliminary validation results of the Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD) as a tool for mapping sediment sources in Tanzania. This study was carried out in a well studied catchment, the Nyumba Ya Mungu (NYM) reservoir catchment located in the upstream of Pangani River Sub-basin. Previous studies in the same catchment used quantitative approach that entailed comprehensive sediment sampling programme and numerical modelling to identify sediment sources and erosion processes. Although previous researchers’ findings were satisfactory, the methods used were demanding in terms of resources (time, funding, and personnel) and impractical to a large ungauged catchment. The quest to validate GLASOD map is evident as it was qualitatively developed through collating expert judgments of many soil scientists to produce a world map of human-induced soil degradation at a scale 1:10,000,000. In the current study sediment sources mapped from qualitative method (GLASOD) plus supplement field visit observations and quantitative approaches are compared and discussed in detail. Preliminary results suggest that the paired information on sediment sources, field based data versus GLASOD, for upper catchments or upland locations are more strongly correlated than lower reaches. The results of this study have further emphasized the fact that GLASOD map is satisfactory to depict large regional differences in soil degradation but it is not capable of explaining local degradation. Besides, GLASOD map does not capture erosion processes dynamics compared to comprehensive sediment sampling programme. Notwithstanding, GLASOD map might be a useful tool for sediment sources and erosion processes identification scoping studies in the study area. Based on this study, it is therefore recommended to complement the GLASOD map with field based data for detailed study initiatives.